Xu Shoupei, a 31-year-old Chinese national, found himself at the center of a controversy involving attempted bribery of a police officer in Singapore.
He had repeatedly tried to bribe a police officer with $76, but was rejected.
This incident, which took place on July 4, 2021, led to Xu’s sentencing to five weeks in jail after he pleaded guilty to 2 charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, according to The Straits Times.
The Background
The incident began when, around 9 pm, two police officers, Special Constable (SC) Ong Shu Hong and his colleague, were called to Kembangan MRT station to investigate a complaint about a suspicious person in a white T-shirt loitering in the area.
At the nearby park connector, the officers spotted Xu, who fit the description provided in the complaint, and approached him, introducing themselves as police officers.
Xu, however, attempted to walk away, prompting the officers to stop him.
SC Ong asked Xu to show his identity card. Xu realized he did not have it with him, which led to panic because he thought that if he doesn’t; have his IC with him, the officers would report him and affect his job prospects here.
The Attempted Bribery
In a state of desperation, Xu pleaded with SC Ong, requesting him to halt the identity check. However, things took an unexpected turn as Xu took out $76 from his pocket and offered it to the policeman.
For several minutes, Xu repeatedly offered the $76 to SC Ong, who, in response, warned him to cease his attempts. However, Xu continued his efforts even when in handcuffs.
Legal Consequences
Xu was charged in court in September 2021 with two charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He pleaded guilty on October 11, 2021, acknowledging his actions.
For each graft charge, he could have been jailed up to 5 years and given a fine of a maximum $100k.